Snow Leopard Expedition - Ghost of Himalayas

Jungle Lore once again brings to you, one of its most exciting travel opportunities featuring the Ghost of the Himalayas, the elusive Snow Leopard. During the winters when the peaks are covered with snow, the ghost descends to lower and more approachable altitudes in and around the Hemis National Park. Though a Snow Leopard sighting will be the highlight of the trip, Hemis hosts a lot more in terms of wildlife diversity. Ranging from Himalayan Blue Sheep, Red Fox, Tibetan Wolf and an exquisite variety of bird life.

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1 - 23th Feb - Arrive in Leh (Rest)

Take the early morning flight to Leh from New Delhi. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel located near Leh market.

Complete rest for the day is highly recommended as it eases the process of acclimatisation. Also sipping hot tea while stretching your legs in the lap of Himalayas is definitely not a bad way to start you trip, alternatively you can also choose to visit the local market in the evening.

Dinner and overnight stay in Leh.

Day 2 - 24th Feb - Drive to Ule, walk on the frozen Zanskar

Early morning we depart for Ule and stop at confluence to experience the walk on the frozen Zanskar river. Reach Ule by lunch time.Dinner and overnight stay in Ule Homestay.

Day 3 - 25th Feb - Explore Ule

Today, we will be exploring the Ule landscape, which is known for its Leopard sightings as well. Apart from that keep a look out for Urial, Agrali and Tibetian Antelope here.

Day 4 - 26th Feb - Halfday at Ule. Late evening back to Leh

We shall explore more of Ule and late afternoon we head back to Leh.

A bonfire to keep you warm and dinner afterwards.

Overnight at Leh.

Day 5 - 27th Feb - Leh to Zinchen. Trek to Rumbak

This is the part that we have been building up to.

Post breakfast we head to the Hemis National Park. From Phey Bridge onwards we start hiking along side Indus towards the Zingchen Gorge. We continue up the gorge and soon enough lay our eyes on the high altitude Hemis national park, the home of the Snow Leopard. Keep your senses sharp and look out amidst the cliffs and at the base of rocks where they mark their turf.

We spend the night in Rumbak Homestays and it is our first night in the stunning Hemis wilderness.

Trekking time: 5-6 hrs. Elevation: 12,400 ft

Day 6 - 28th Feb - Explore Rumbak

Over the next 3 days we trek around Hemis National Park tracking the Snow Leopard and its wildlife prey. Hemis National Park is home to blue sheep, argali (a large horned sheep), numerous mountain and migratory birds, as well as an occasional Tibetan wolf, one of the most prolific hunters of the region. You are likely to see signs of Snow Leopard, as winter is the time when they descend to lower elevations. If lucky, you’ll actually see one perched high in the rocks or balanced on a near vertical ridge. Return to camp for some hot servings and warming tea and share tales of the day.

**Snow Leopards naturally predate on wild bharal (blue sheep) or ibex (mountain goat) however they have been known to kill domestic animals such as local farmers’ goat and sheep. They are able to kill and carry up to 3 times their body weight and are generally opportunist hunters.

Overnight in camp/home stay.

Day 7 - 1st March - Turhan Valley

Today, we trek to the Turhan valley another great place to spot the elusive cat.

Overnight in camp/home stay.

Day 8 - 2nd March - Rumbak - Urutse. Homestay at Urutse(13,500 ft).

Today, we will explore Yurutse (13,500 ft) and Gandala Pass base which is known for its Ibex sightings.

Overnight in camp/home stay at Yurutse.

Day 8 - 3rd March - Urutse to Zinchen. Back to Leh.

Trek down-valley past familiar Snow Leopard haunts and piles of carved Tibetan prayer stones to Zingchen; about 5 hrs. We take it slow exploring the familiar haunts of the Leopards with packed Lunch so that we make it to Zingchen by late afternoon.

Post our arrival in Zingchen, we head back to civilisation – Leh. After a much needed and deserved shower it is time to relax, grab a drink and enjoy the last of the gorgeous and peaceful Himalayan scenery.

Snow Leopard, Shan (called locally), Ghost of the Himalayas are a few names of this very elusive cat species.These rare, beautiful grey leopards inhabit the mountains of Hemis National Park. They are insulated by thick hair, and their wide, fur-covered feet act as natural snowshoes. Snow leopards have powerful legs and are tremendous leapers, able to jump as far as 50 feet (15 meters). They use their long tails (some times 80% of their body length) for balance and as blankets to insulate sensitive body parts against the severe mountain chill. Like all cats, they are territorial and sneak up on their prey. Typical targets are the blue sheep, Ibex, etc. Though if the opportunity arises, the leopard goes after the wooly hares, birds, marmots, domestic goats etc. They prefer steep, rugged terrains with rocky outcrops and ravines. This type of habitat provides excellent camouflage; good cover and clear view to help them sneak up on their prey.

This is probably one of the toughest creatures to track given its elusive behavior, the weather conditions, the rugged terrain and the vast area. While traversing the terrain one looks for signs scrapes, feaces, urine and scent-spray in prominent locations along their travel routes. There are dynamics like presence of cubs, mating pairs etc. that needs to be taken into account. Every morning the tracking begins again, and we go out looking for signs. Spotters are set up across various ridges armed with high-powered scopes and binoculars. Connected through wireless, the teams continuously communicate and scan for signs.

The timing of the trip is very important as the Himalayan blue sheep Bharal (Snow Leopard’s primary prey) descends down from altitudes like 17000 ft to lower and more humanly approachable 13000 ft in search of food. The snow leopard follows its prey and hence one has to keep a look out for blue sheep, while tracking them. Hence the weather conditions though tough for us increases the probability of spotting the ghost.

HEMIS NATIONAL PARK AND OTHER WILDLIFE

Hemis National Park in the Ladakh region is a high altitude national park in the eastern Ladakh region in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. It is the only national park in India north of the Himalayas, about 4,400 sq. km and thus the largest notified protected area in India.

Although it is of course these magnificent felines that we are looking for, there is also lots of other interesting wildlife to be seen. The local mountain goat, known as the Ibex is a stunning woolly creature that can weigh up to 200 pounds. Their colour ranges from pale to dark brown and they have a darker dorsal stripe. The Ibex has distinctive horns which curve backwards and are bigger on the males. The Eurasian lynx is a medium size cat that is reddish brown in colour with black spots. They have black tufts on top of their ears and a short bobbed tail. They prey on smaller animals than the leopard like rabbits, hares, foxes and deer. The Tibetan wolf varies in colour depending on the season and the part of their body. The back and tail are usually black and white, the chest, belly and inside legs are white ears are grey. Its legs are slightly shorter than the European wolf and it is one of the region’s most prolific hunters.

Quick Info

Videos

Testimonials

RANTHAMBORE WITH IPSITA

I sincerely wanted to thank the entire team of junglore especially Amit and Gaurav for giving me and Sriram such good memories of Ranthambore to treasure.We not only had an awesome time enjoying the safaris and be more greedy each time to see one more tiger but also enjoyed the hospitality extended by you all. Also, a big thank you to Gaurav, the guide and the driver who helped me get my blackberry phone back. Who on earth could think that i will actually get my lost phone back from the jungle of Ranthambore.thanks once again.Attaching few beautiful shots captured during the safari for you all to see.

- Ipsita Roy

BHUTAN EXPERIENCE WITH JUNGLELORE

We set off for our Bhutan trip on 11th October 2010, with a feeling of excitement and a little bit of apprehension. Our trip started form Baghdogra in West Bengal and we traveled by road to Phuntsholing in Bhutan where we spent our first night. The next day after some local sightseeing we left for Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan where we spent the next couple of days. Our stay in Thimpu was very comfortable and we absorbed the new experiences of the new country. After that we proceeded to Paro which was the old capital of Bhutan. The highlight of our stay in Paro was our trek to Tiger’s Nest Monastery. The long and arduous trek to the Monastery was made worthwhile by the spectacular glimpse of the Monastery. From Paro we came back to India and spent the last night of our journey in Gorumara which has wildlife sanctuaries for bison, rhinos and elephants. We went for a quick safari in the jungle on the last morning of our trip and made our way back to Baghdogra.. Bhutan is a very beautiful and clean country and definitely a must see. We returned from the trip refreshed and with sweet memories. Our traveling and stay in Bhutan was comfortable and we had an enjoyable week

- Sneha Kulkarni, Aditi Khare, Seema Madan, Alka Kanetkar.

LAXMI TALKS ABOUT JUNGLELORE

From the forts of the Sahyadris to Monasteries of Ladakh , from canter safaris in Ranthambhore to white water rafting in the river Kundalika....each trip has been memorable and a lot of fun.

It all started over 3 years ago for me....one trip to Ranthambhore with the Jungle Lore team and I was hooked and asking for more.

Every trip has resulted in some amazing photographs, beautiful memories and new friends.